Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst
Encyclopedia
The Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst is a UNESCO World Heritage site consisting of 712 caves spread out over a total area of 55,800 ha along the border of Hungary
and Slovakia
.
, Szendrő-Rudabánya Hill, and Esztramos Hill in Hungary
, and Dobšinská Ice Cave
, Koniar plateau, Plešivec plateau, and neighbourhood of Silica and Jasov in Slovakia
.
Caves included are:
Baradla-Domica Cave complex is 21 km long with approximately one fourth of that on the Slovak side and the rest in the Hungary. The first written mention of Baradla cave dates back to 1549 and from 1920 it serves as a tourist attraction. Ján Majko discovered Domica
Cave (Slovak part of the complex) in 1926 and the tourist circuit opened to public in 1932 has more than 1700 metres. Cave was inhabited as far as 5000 BC and is an important archeological site of Bükk Culture
. Temperature in the Slovak part varies between 10°C and 12,3°C with a humidity above 95%.
Gombasek Cave was discovered in 1951 with 530 out of its 1,525 m opened to the public from 1955. The cave is also experimentally used for "speleotherapy" as a sanatorium, focused on airway diseases thanks to constant temperature of 9°C, high humidity of 98% and favorable microclimate. Geomorphologically it is one of the youngest but nevertheless also one of the most impressive caves in Slovakia with extraordinary decoration that gave it the nickname "Fairy tale cave".
Dobšiná Ice Cave was added to the list of components of this World Heritage Site only in the year 2000. The cave was discovered in 1870 by Eugen Ruffinyi, though the entrance was known long before. Being open to the public just one year after its discovery, in 1887 it became the first electrically lit cave in Europe. Approximately one third of its 1,483 m length is open from May to September. Thickness of the ice on the floor approaches 25 m, with a surface area of 11 200 m² and estimated volume of 145 000 m³ of ice. Average temperature is -1°C and relative humidity between 96 and 99%. This cave is among the most beautiful and the most richly decorated ice caves in the world.
Although Ochtinská Aragonite Cave is just 300 m long with a tourist circuit not longer than 230 m, it is famous for its rare aragonite
filling since there are only three aragonite caves discovered in the world so far. In the so-called Milky Way Hall, the main attraction of the cave, white branches and clusters of aragonite shine like stars in the Milky Way. The cave was discovered in 1954 and opened to the public in 1972. Temperature in the cave is around 7°C with relative humidity between 92 and 97 %.
Jasovská Cave was partly opened for the public in 1846, making it the oldest publicly accessible cave in Slovakia. The lower parts of the cave were discovered in 1922 to 1924. More than one third of its 2148 m total length is open to the public. Paleolithic and Neolithic archeological artifacts were found in the cave together with those of Hallstatt Culture
.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
.
Background
This UNESCO World Heritage site includes seven components. They are AggtelekAggtelek National Park
Aggtelek National Park is a national park in Northern Hungary, in the Aggtelek Karst region. It was founded in 1985. It contains 198.92 km² . It has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage since 1995...
, Szendrő-Rudabánya Hill, and Esztramos Hill in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, and Dobšinská Ice Cave
Dobšinská Ice Cave
Dobšinská Ice Cave or Dobšinská ľadová jaskyňa is an ice cave in Slovakia, near the mining town of Dobšiná in the Slovak Paradise. Since 2000 it is included in the UNESCO World Heritage list as a part of Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst site...
, Koniar plateau, Plešivec plateau, and neighbourhood of Silica and Jasov in Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
.
Caves included are:
- BaradlaAggtelek National ParkAggtelek National Park is a national park in Northern Hungary, in the Aggtelek Karst region. It was founded in 1985. It contains 198.92 km² . It has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage since 1995...
and DomicaDomicaDomica is the biggest cave in the Slovak Karst in southern Slovakia, Rožňava District. It is a part of the cave complex that continues into the cave Baradla in Hungary. It was discovered in 1926 by Ján Majko. Since 1932, of the are open to public...
complex - Gombasek CaveGombasek CaveGombasek Cave or Gombasecká jaskyňa and Gombaszögi-barlang is a stalactite and stalagmite cave in the Slovak Karst, Slovakia. It is named after the settlement of Gombasek, which belongs to the village of Slavec. It is located in the Slovak Karst National Park, in the Slaná river valley,...
- Silica Ice Cave
- Dobšinská Ice CaveDobšinská Ice CaveDobšinská Ice Cave or Dobšinská ľadová jaskyňa is an ice cave in Slovakia, near the mining town of Dobšiná in the Slovak Paradise. Since 2000 it is included in the UNESCO World Heritage list as a part of Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst site...
- Ochtinská Aragonite CaveOchtinská Aragonite CaveOchtinská Aragonite Cave is a unique aragonite cave situated in southern Slovakia, near Rožňava. Although only 300 m long, it is famous for its rare aragonite filling. There are only three aragonite caves discovered in the world so far. In the so-called Milky Way Hall, the main attraction of the...
- Jasovská CaveJasovská CaveJasovská Cave is a stalactite cave in the Slovak Karst in Slovakia. It is located near the village of Jasov, around 25 km from Košice.The cave was partly opened for the public in 1846, making it the oldest publicly accessible cave in Slovakia. The lower parts of the cave were discovered in 1922 to...
Baradla-Domica Cave complex is 21 km long with approximately one fourth of that on the Slovak side and the rest in the Hungary. The first written mention of Baradla cave dates back to 1549 and from 1920 it serves as a tourist attraction. Ján Majko discovered Domica
Domica
Domica is the biggest cave in the Slovak Karst in southern Slovakia, Rožňava District. It is a part of the cave complex that continues into the cave Baradla in Hungary. It was discovered in 1926 by Ján Majko. Since 1932, of the are open to public...
Cave (Slovak part of the complex) in 1926 and the tourist circuit opened to public in 1932 has more than 1700 metres. Cave was inhabited as far as 5000 BC and is an important archeological site of Bükk Culture
Bükk Culture
Bükk culture may have belonged to a dense pocket of Cro-magnon type people inhabiting the Bükk mountains of Hungary and the upper Tisza and its tributaries. The surrounding Neolithic was mainly of a more gracile Mediterranean type, with a Cro-magnon admixture as another possibility...
. Temperature in the Slovak part varies between 10°C and 12,3°C with a humidity above 95%.
Gombasek Cave was discovered in 1951 with 530 out of its 1,525 m opened to the public from 1955. The cave is also experimentally used for "speleotherapy" as a sanatorium, focused on airway diseases thanks to constant temperature of 9°C, high humidity of 98% and favorable microclimate. Geomorphologically it is one of the youngest but nevertheless also one of the most impressive caves in Slovakia with extraordinary decoration that gave it the nickname "Fairy tale cave".
Dobšiná Ice Cave was added to the list of components of this World Heritage Site only in the year 2000. The cave was discovered in 1870 by Eugen Ruffinyi, though the entrance was known long before. Being open to the public just one year after its discovery, in 1887 it became the first electrically lit cave in Europe. Approximately one third of its 1,483 m length is open from May to September. Thickness of the ice on the floor approaches 25 m, with a surface area of 11 200 m² and estimated volume of 145 000 m³ of ice. Average temperature is -1°C and relative humidity between 96 and 99%. This cave is among the most beautiful and the most richly decorated ice caves in the world.
Although Ochtinská Aragonite Cave is just 300 m long with a tourist circuit not longer than 230 m, it is famous for its rare aragonite
Aragonite
Aragonite is a carbonate mineral, one of the two common, naturally occurring, crystal forms of calcium carbonate, CaCO3...
filling since there are only three aragonite caves discovered in the world so far. In the so-called Milky Way Hall, the main attraction of the cave, white branches and clusters of aragonite shine like stars in the Milky Way. The cave was discovered in 1954 and opened to the public in 1972. Temperature in the cave is around 7°C with relative humidity between 92 and 97 %.
Jasovská Cave was partly opened for the public in 1846, making it the oldest publicly accessible cave in Slovakia. The lower parts of the cave were discovered in 1922 to 1924. More than one third of its 2148 m total length is open to the public. Paleolithic and Neolithic archeological artifacts were found in the cave together with those of Hallstatt Culture
Hallstatt culture
The Hallstatt culture was the predominant Central European culture from the 8th to 6th centuries BC , developing out of the Urnfield culture of the 12th century BC and followed in much of Central Europe by the La Tène culture.By the 6th century BC, the Hallstatt culture extended for some...
.
See also
- List of caves in Slovakia
- Slovak Karst National ParkSlovak Karst National ParkSlovak Karst National Park is a national park in the Slovak Karst mountain range in South East Slovakia...
- Aggtelek National ParkAggtelek National ParkAggtelek National Park is a national park in Northern Hungary, in the Aggtelek Karst region. It was founded in 1985. It contains 198.92 km² . It has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage since 1995...
- Slovak KarstSlovak KarstThe Slovak Karst is one of the mountain ranges of the Slovenské rudohorie Mountains in the Carpathians in southern Slovakia. It consists of a complex of huge karst plains and plateaus. Since 1973 it was a protected landscape area. On 1 March 2002 Slovak Karst National Park was declared...